Elements with base having recesses for storing or standing same



Jan. 21, 1969 R. s, KILEY 3,

ELEMENTS WITH BASE HAVI NG RECESSES FOR STORING OR STANDING SAME FiledOct. 19, 1964 Sheet of 2 70 \2} ll- II H i :f k 2 2 2i lLl Hill u n u uu u u 55 I 76 54 12 %5 44 74 enee g zwmwazwa/ggzs Jan. 21, 1969 R. s.KILEY 3,422,563

ELEMENTS WITH BASE HAVING RECESSES FOR STORING OR 8 AAAAAAAAA ME FiledOct. 19, 1964. Sheet 2 of 2 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 2 Claims Thisinvention relates generally to assembly-type toys and more particularlyto assembly-type toys that are suitable for use by small children.

Children of all ages derive considerable amusement and satisfaction fromthe type of play devices that call upon them to exercise theirmanipulative skills. Alphabet blocks are a tradition; and numerous otherassembly-type toys have enjoyed considerable popularity, for example theassmbly-type toys comprising wooden dowels of various lengths andcooperating knuckles or joints having suitable bores for receiving thedowels. However, alphabet blocks provide no suggestion of an assemblyobjective and most other assembly-type toys rely on pictured objectivesand printed assembly instructions for use in achievin the completedunit. Children who are too advanced for blocks but who are not yet ableto read or follow pictured assembly steps with facility are thus deniedthis general type of amusement.

Therefore, an important object of the present invention is to fulfillthis latter need and provide an assembly-type toy that is matched to theskill of pre-school age children.

Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly-type toy thatcomprises components which suggest the assembly objective.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a toy consisting ofcomponents that can be readily assembled by small children to reenactsome aspect of a familiar story.

A further object of the invention is to provide a storytelling toy thatis arranged to be assembled by small children to produce a satisfyingthree-dimensional effect without unduly taxing their manipulativeskills.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide a story-telling toyof the type described which is compact and therefore both convenient andeconomical to handle, ship or mail.

A more general object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedchildrens toy.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become moreapparent from the following descriptions.

A toy in accord with the invention includes a planar base and planar toyelements. The base is provided with two sets of recesses shapedrespectively to receive the toy elements in prostrate and in uprightpositions. The toy elements are provided in the outline of and aredecorated to represent story-book characters, the toy elements beingadapted to be disposed in one set of recesses for shipping and handlingand to be extractable from those recesses for fitted insertion of theirends in the other recesses for creating a scene from a childrens story.

In order that the principles of the invention may be readily understood,two embodiments thereof, but to which the application is not to berestricted are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a story-telling toy constructed incompliance with the invention and shown with the toy elements fittedinto the recesses of the base in coplanar relationship therewith;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the base of FIG. 1 with the toy elementsremoved;

FIG. 3 is a low angle perspective view of the storytelling toy of FIG. 1with the toy elements disposed in the base in upright position;

FIG. 3a is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken through the materialof the base;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged perspective views of two toy house elementsused in the arrangement of FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified toy constructed in compliancewith the invention and showing the representation of a different storyfrom that represented by the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, the toy elementsbeing shown in prostrate position relative to the base; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the toy of FIG. 6 with the toy elementsdisposed in upright position.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, specifically to FIGS. 1 and 3,a story-telling toy indicated generally by the numeral 10 will be seento include a planar base 12 and a number of planar toy elementsindicated respectively by alternate numerals from 14 to 34. The toy 10is intended to suggest the story of The Three Little Pigs. Accordingly,toy elements 14, 16 and 18 are fash; ioned in the outline of and aredecorated to represent The Three Little Pigs. Similarly, the toy elementindicated by the numeral 20 is fashioned in the silhouette of and isdecorated to represent The Big Bad Wolf. Cooperatively, toy elements 28,30, 32 and 34 are fabricated to represent the side walls of the brickhouse built by the industrious little pig and the toy elements 24 and 26represent roof sections thereof. Toy element 22 represents a tree whichis used in developing a visually balanced composition in the assembledtoy. The toy elements 14-34 may be advantageously fabricated bydiecutting from cardboard stock of suitable thickness which has beenprinted with the necessary decorations for representing the variousstorybook characters. If desired, the toy elements may be molded from asuitable resinous plastic mateial, in which case they may be providedwith a sculptured surface giving the effect of a base relief.

As is best shown in FIG. 2, the base 12 is provided with a first set orgroup of shallow recesses indicated respectively by alternate numeralsfrom 36 through 54 and 55, 60, 62 and 64. These recesses are defined byWall means shaped to fittingly receive toy elements 1434 in theprostrate position. It is to be noted that in the illustrated embodimentthe recesses 60, 62 and 64 communicate with the recess 50 so thattogether these make up one large recess which is a part of the first setor group of recesses. Recess portions 60, 62 and 64 provide wall meanswhich cooperate with the wall means of recess portion 50 to fittinglyengage and retain toy elements 28, 30, 32 and 34 in upright position.The base 12 is also provided with a second set or group of shallowrecesses which are indicated by numerals 56, 58, 66, 68 and 70, and therecesses in this latter set are defined by wall means shaped tofittingly receive the toy elements 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 in uprightposition. More specifically, the recesses in this second set are shapedas narrow rectangular openings corresponding in width to the thicknessof the planar toy elements. Turning for the moment to FIGS. 3 and 3a,the base 12 is seen to comprise an imperforate foundation layer 72 andan intermediate layer 74 which is cut out to provide the two sets ofshallow recesses previously described. The base 12 additionally includesa top layer 76 which is printed or otherwise suitably provided with adecorative background for the scene produced by the toy elements intheir upright position. By this construction of the base 12, the twosets or groups of recesses are provided with bottoms, thus developingblind recesses defined by wall mean for insuring proper positioning ofthe toy elements in both the prostrate and the upright positions. Toprovide stability in the house made up of elements 24-34, these elementsare arranged for interfitted engagement. Specifically, the Wall elements28-34 are provided with tabs 78, and the roof sections defined by toyelements 24 and 26 are fashioned with cooperatively shaped slots 80. Inaccordance with another feature of the invention, the recesses 56-70which are adapted to receive the toy elements in upright position areconfigurated as converging lines focused at the brick house in apanoramic arrangement. Thus, when the toy elements are disposed inupright position, the planar toy elements 14-22 borrow from thethree-dimensional brick house in creating an over-all illusion ofthree-dimensionality.

Having thus described one embodiment of the invention, it will bevaluable at this juncture to specify the contemplated manner in whichthe toy may be used.

For shipping and handling, the toy elements 14-34 will be fitted intothe recesses 36-54 and 55 in prostrate position coplanar with the base12. This arrangement of the toy is shown in FIG. 1; and it has beenfound that, when the toy elements are selected to have the samethickness as the depth of the recesses 36-54, the relative fiatness ofthe assembled base and toy elements results in a very compact unit whichis both convenient and economical to handle, ship or mail. The fact thatthe base and the toy elements are all planar in character contributes tothis feature.

When the story-telling toy is in the hand of a child who desires toamuse himself by its reassembly, the several toy elements will be firstextracted from the base 12. This may be accomplished by capturing anedge of each toy element with a fingernail, and lifting the same out ofthe corresponding recess; or alternatively, the base 12 may be invertedto dump or shake the toy elements out of the recesses. Thereafter, thetoy elements will be defined by Wall means assembled within the secondset of recesses 56-70 to create a scene representative of the story ofThe Three Little Pigs, as in shown in FIG, 3. In developing thisassembly of the toy elements in upright position, the bottom endsthereof will be fittedly inserted in the appropriate recesses. Thegeneral familiarity with the story of The Three Little Pigs will suggestto the child an appropriate assembly of the several parts of the toy.Moreover, the simple, slot and tab style of assembly permits smallchildren to produce a satisfying three-dimensional effect without undulytaxing their manipulative skills. It will be recognized that thestory-telling toy 10 may be disassembled as easily as it was assembled;and when the toy elements 14-34 are returned to the recesses 36-54 and55, the toy may be readily stored with reasonable assurance that the toyelements will not become separated from the base 12 and lost.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has thus far been shownand described, it should be understood that the invention is not limitedthereto since many modifications may be made. Therefore and in order toenhance the understanding of the invention, one such modified form ofthe invention is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. There, a story-tellingtoy 100 is arranged to depict the nursery rhyme about Humpty Dumpty. Thetoy 100 comprises a planar base 102 that is provided with a pair ofrecesses 104 and 106 which receive respectively toy elements 108, 110.Toy element 108 is shaped and decorated to represent a wall whereas toyelement 110 is provided in the outline of an egg, being decorated torepresent Humpty Dumpty. Recesses 104 and 106 receive the correspondingtoy elements in prostrate position, and the base 102 is additionallyprovided with a narrow elongated recesses 112 which is adapted toreceive the toy element 108 in rupright position as as shown in FIG. 7.The toy element 108 is fashioned with a semi-elliptical notch 114 whichis adapted to receive the lower end of the toy ele ment 110 in both theprostrate and upright positions. So

that the toy may represent, not only that Humpty Dumpty sits on thewall, but also that he has his famous fall, the toy element is providedin two sections 116 and 118 which are joined by a jagged joint 120. Theirregularity of the joint 110 providing a fairly stable union betweenthe two components in addition to representing the broken condition OfHumpty Dumpty after his fall. In other respects, the toy 100 embodiesthe basic features and advantages of the toy 10.

The specific examples herein shown and described are to be considered asbeing primarily illustrative. Various changes beyondthose describedwill, no doubt, occur to those skilled in the art, and such changes areto be understood as forming a part of this invention insofar as theyfall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A toy comprising: toy elements formed and decorated to representparts of a scene from a childrens story; and a base member having firstand second groups of recesses, each of said first group of recesseshaving first recess wall means shaped to fittingly receive said toyelement. in a prostrate position, at least one of said first group ofrecesses having second recess wall means, said firt and second recesswall means of said one recess being joined and jointly shaped tofittingly engage and retain a first predetermined group of said toyelements in a predetermined upright relationship relative to each otherto form a three-dimensional component of a scene for a childrens story,said second group of recesses having recess wall means dimensioned toretain a second predetermined group of said toy elements in an uprightposition spaced apart from the three-dimensional component of the scenefrom a childrens story.

2. A toy comprising: toy elements formed and decorated to representparts of a scene from a childrens story; and a base member having firstand second groups of recesses, each of said first group of recesseshaving first recess wall means shaped to fittingly receive said toyelement in a prostrate position, at least one of said first group ofrecesses having second recess wall means, said first and second recesswall means of said one recess being joined and jointly shaped tofittingly engage and retain predetermined ones of said toy elements in apredetermined upright relationship relative to each other to form athree-dimensional component of a scene from a childrens story, saidsecond group of recesses having recess wall means disposed in converginglines to retainpredetermined others of said toy elements in an uprightconverging relationship relative to the three-dimensional component ofthe scene from a childrens story.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 383,442 5/ 1888 Crandall 4622578,029 3/1897 Russell 46-17 1,230,263 6/ 1917 Alexander. 2,023,30012/1935 Barnett 4617 2,514,636 7/1950 Glaze 353l.4 2,529,692 11/1950Holmes 46-22 2,659,163 11/1953 Albee. 1,862,558 6/1932 Wetzel 46163,191,937 6/1965 Kropinski 4616 X FOREIGN PATENTS 208,969 5 1940Switzerland.

242,367 10/ 1946 Switzerland. 1,079,940 5/ 1954 France.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 273-157; 35-73

1. A TOY COMPRISING: TOY ELEMENTS FORMED AND DECORATED TO REPRESENTPARTS OF A SCENE FROM A CHILDREN''S STORY; AND A BASE MEMBER HAVINGFIRST AND SECOND GROUPS OF RECESSES, EACH OF SAID FIRST GROUP OFRECESSES HAVING FIRST RECESS WALL MEANS SHAPED TO FITTINGLY RECEIVE SAIDTOY ELEMENT IN A PROSTRATE POSITION, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FIRST GROUP OFRECESSES HAVING SECOND RECESS WALL MEANS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND RECESSWALL MEANS OF SAID ONE RECESS BEING JOINED AND JOINTLY SHAPED TOFITTINGLY ENGAGE AND RETAIN A FIRST PREDETERMINED GROUP OF SAID TOYELEMENTS IN A PREDETERMINED UPRIGHT RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO EACH OTHERTO FORM A THREE-DIMENSIONAL COMPONENT OF A SCENE FOR A CHILDREN''SSTORY, SAID SECOND GROUP OF RECESSES HAVING RECESS WALL MEANSDIMENSIONED TO RETAIN A SECOND PREDETERMINED GROUP OF SAID TOY ELEMENTSIN AN UPRIGHT POSITION SPACED APART FROM THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL COMPONENTOF THE SCENE FROM A CHILDREN''S STORY.